The Nighttime Disruption
by bigbangenthusiast
Summary: Sheldon drives Amy crazy when he talks to the baby every night, making it difficult for her to fall asleep.


**A/N: I received a prompt for this story from an Anon on tumblr. Have a great week!**

Amy buried her head under her pillow and held it tightly, but even that didn't drown out the wails from the nursery. Leah was well fed, and her diaper was clean when she checked on her ten minutes ago. The infant probably just wanted attention, but all Amy wanted was a good night's sleep.

Sheldon stroked her arm, and she peeked out to find his eyes staring back at her.

"I'll check on her," he offered.

"Thanks, Honey."

She loosened her hold on the pillow and listened as his slippered feet padded down the hallway. When the wails quieted somewhat moments later, she emerged from her sound barrier. Over the baby monitor, Sheldon spoke softly to their daughter about the project he was involved in at work. Baby Leah was not impressed, as evidenced by the growing volume of her sobs.

"Mommy and I are very sleepy, and you need your sleep too. According to the literature, 3-week-old babies need 15.5 to 17 hours of sleep every day."

The explanation did nothing to calm the infant who shrieked even louder.

"Shhh... Hush little one. Daddy's here. How about we snuggle with Mr. Teddy? No? How about Coco the Monkey? Gerry Giraffe?"

Still the crying continued, and a slightly-frustrated tone creeped into Sheldon's voice.

"I don't know how to help you. What can I do to help you fall asleep? I know! I can tell you one of my favorite childhood stories - The Little Engine That Could."

Amy smiled as he recounted the tale, complete with chugging sounds and the whoo whoo! of the train whistle, which she could hear even without the monitor. Halfway through, the sobbing subsided, and Leah cooed in response.

"That's my girl," he murmured.

"That was so sweet. Great job," Amy commended him when he returned to bed a minute later.

Sheldon beamed at her in the dim light. "Now we can all get our rest. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Super Dad."

The next night started off the same with Leah protesting from the moment they set her in her crib.

"Go on to bed," Sheldon urged his wife. "It's story time for me and this little one."

Every night for the next week followed the same pattern. Leah cried, Sheldon insisted he would handle the situation, and he recited the same story again and again. By the fifth night, Amy knew all the words by heart, and by the seventh she never wanted to hear the tale again. She was tempted to turn off the baby monitor just so she wouldn't have to listen to it and get a little extra sleep, but that would defeat the whole purpose of the monitor.

"Maybe we should try something different tomorrow," Amy whispered when Sheldon finally joined her in bed. "The parenting book suggests driving to lull a baby to sleep. We could go out before Leah's bedtime to prevent the crying from happening in the first place."

"That seems like a lot more work than what it's worth. Besides I enjoy sharing my love of trains with our daughter. It's our special time."

"I love that you're bonding, I really do. You're a wonderful father, it's just that..."

"Just what?"

"Sheldon, you're driving me crazy!"

He jumped at the vehement tone in her voice. "How am I driving you crazy? I thought I was helping by taking care of the baby."

"You are, and I really appreciate what you do, but every night it's the same story. The repetition is wearing my patience thin."

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"It was cute at first. I love your enthusiasm for the story. It's mesmerizing the way you bring it to life, but like all good things, I think it would be better in moderation. Maybe you can try another story to add a little variety."

"Another story?! Amy, The Little Engine That Could is a classic, and reciting something else before Leah's bedtime would break tradition."

"How about this, you continue telling the story but in a lower register with the monitor off, just as long as you remember to turn it back on again before leaving the nursery."

"Even the train whistle?"

"Especially the whistle."

"But Amy..."

She turned her puppy dog eyes on him. "Please? I think it's a reasonable compromise."

"Alright. I'll try... for you."

Amy threw her arms around his neck. "Thank you, Sheldon. Not only are you a wonderful father, you're a wonderful husband too. Leah and I are very lucky."

"I'm the lucky one," he murmured into her hair.

Amy laid her head on her husband's chest as they snuggled under the comforter. For the first time in a week, she drifted off into a peaceful, restful sleep.


End file.
